Glass surstitute



1,580,287 J. J. COLLE ET AL GLASS SUBSTITUTE April 13 1926.

Filed March 20, 1924 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOIP J../. com.

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BY ATTORNEY A ril 13 1926. 1,580,287

J. J. COLLE ET AL GLASS SUBSTITUTE Filed March 20, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY flu ATTORNEY Patented A r. 13, 1926'.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

J'ULES JOSEPH COLLE AN D A OHILLESCOLLE, 0F SUHMI'Ii, JERSEY, ASSIGNORS 'IlO CELLO PRODUCTS INCORPORATED, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GLASS suns'rrru'm.

a pncimn filed ma 20,1924. Serial 1%. 700,500.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULES JOSEPH Come, a subject of the King of Belgium, and a resident of Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, and ACHILLES Comm, :1 subject of the King of Belgium,

and a resident of Summit, in the county of- Union and State of New Jersey, have 1nvented a new and useful Improvement in Glass Substitute, of which the following is a specification.

This application is in part a continuation of our prior application, Serial No. 571,372, fil ed June 28, 1922, and assigned to Cello Products Incorporated.

Our invention relates to window glass sub stitutes and more particularly to a novel and improved article of manufacture which can be utilized in various arts to take the place of window panes and the.like, being particularly applicable in the construction of enclosures where light diffusing and heat insulating properties are important factors such as greenhouses, hotbeds, cold frames, poultry houses, chicken coops and the like. An obj ectof our'invention is the provision of an article of manufacture capable of being substituted for window glass since it has many properties in common therewith besides possessing many additional properties not found in window glass.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a glass substitute which renders an enclosure constructed .therefrom less subject to temperature changes,'thus giving a higher general average temperature, thanis obtainable under like conditions had the enclosure been covered'with window glass;

Another object is the provision of a glass substitute comprised of a reinforced film which does not materially embed its reinforcing base but enrolls or incases the same to the extent that the strands thereof are protected thereby from corrosion and the like. Another object of our invention is the provision of an article of manufacture comprised of an infinite number of small sur-' faces or bodies formed contiguous with the warp and woof of a reticular base, each of said bodies. having such a configuration as to substantially constitute a miniat1 re double concave divergent lens, whereby a between the surfaces of'the stran better diffusion of light is obtained than can be secured with ordinary window glass.

Another object is the provision of a glass substitute which is of light weight, thus permitting the use of a very light framework. and of simple construction.

Another' object of the invention is the pro- Vision of a glass; substitute that besides being light of weight, has great tensile.

strength and. is capable of withstanding shocks and jars. A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a glass substitute having a. metallic reticular base so designed that the relation of the width of the meshes and size of the wire comprising'the strands thereof is such that a maximum of transparency and tensile strength is obtainedin the product when a given composition of filler material is employed.

Another object is the provision of a transparent fabricated material which may be applied in long sheets or lengths, isweather proof, durable, substantially non-breakable and exceedingly flexible.

A further object is the provision of an article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base, the meshesof which are filled with a thin elastic transparent substance having a consistency which causes it to wet and firmly adhere to the adjacent strands of the base material without appreciably embedding or submerging the same.

A further object of our invention is the provision of anarticle of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base, the meshes 'ofwhich are filled with a film having a result ,due to atmospheric temperature changes.

A further'object is the provision of a substitute for window glass comprised of a reticular metallic base, the meshes, of which are filled with thin transparent film of disposed forming (greater flexibility than would he unitary structure and substantially s the base material, whereby of the product is obtaine afforded if the strands of the base material were appreciably embedded in the filler composition.

A still further object is the provision of .an article of manufacture having a filler beneath the outer surfaces of the filler com-' position.

In the prior art it has been common practice to utilize a wire mesh as a base or reinforcing element in the manufacture of glass in which instance the wire mesh is entirely embedded and the purpose of the same is to lend rigidity and durability to the product. A product of this character is merely a reinforced type or form of ordinary window lass, so fabricated, that it is rendered capab e of resisting influences such as great heat, excessive strains, etc., which would be too severe for ordinary glass, and aside from possessing tgreater mechanical stren h, is slightly i erent therefrom in its p ysical properties.

It has also been the practice of utilizing double la ers of celluloid with a wire mesh interpose therebetween but it has been found that this product does not readily lend itself to be bent or flexed and twisted into different forms and is easily broken. All products of this nature, of which we are aware, have'been at best, poo-r substitutes for-common window glass for many reasons, one being they were not sutliciently resistant to the elements as to make them commercially successful. I

Again it has been proposed heretofore, to coat a reticular base, such as a wire cloth, either on one or both sides thereof, with a film of trans arent material but in such a product no e ort was made to impart thereto weather resisting properties, great flexibility, etc.; neither was any special attempt made to impart to a product of this character, the property of being a poor conductor of heat, inasmuch as thisfittribute had not function in connection with the contemplated uses to be made of the product.

We are not aware of any suggestion in the prior art of coating a reticular metallic base with a solution-or lacquer having such a composition, that when dried, it formed a thin, trans arent film possessing the characteristics 0 being resistant to atmospheric conditions, a good heat insulator, durable, exceedingly flexible and capable of withstanding mechanical strains to a high degree; neither do we know of any prior art showing the application of such a product to the construction of greenhouses and like enclosures, where heat insulating, light difi'using, flexibility, lightness in weight, and similar properties were a virtue.

In practicing our invention, we prefer toemploy a reticular metallic base, the width of the meshes and size of the wire strands thereof being so designed as to insure maximum transparency and strength of the final product. The com osition of the lac uer or filler used to pro uce, when dried, a t in, tough transparent coating or film between the wire meshes and firmly adhering to the strands of the base material, must be so selected as to not only withstand weather conditions but to possess the property of being a poor conductor of heat which makes the ultimate article specially suitable for specific uses such as greenhouses, poultry houses and the like. We have found that cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate mixed with a suitable plasticizer and the mixture dissolved in a suitable solvent has'given excellent results from the standpoint of producing a coating substance endowed with the above characteristics.

Our invention will be more fully appreciated as the description proceeds and by reference to the accompanying. drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is an exaggerated plan view illustrating a product made in accordance with our invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the application of our glass substitute to a frame;

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of our material applied to a chick-and-hen coop;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the material usead in the construction of a greenhouse; an y Fig. 6 is a chart showing comparative temperatures which prevailed over the same period of time and conditions under a cold rame constructed of our product and one using common double thick glass.

Referring to the drawings, our invention may be practiced by utilizing a reticular metallic base 1 such as a wire netting comprised of warp and woof strands 2 and 3 closely woven, so that when the meshes formed thereby are filled with our composition or lacquer, the resulting product will be a base material covered with a thin transparent coating or film 4 firmly adhering to or wetting said strands.

We have found that there is a critical relation between the size of the strands 2 and 3 and the width of the meshes formed thereby with parenc and tensile strength. We have discovere that if the width of the meshes are respect to securing maximum transten tothe inch and the size of the strandsthe coating or lacquer may be applied, care are about mils (Roebling gage :1:/:34)- very satisfactory results are secured, the product having a tensile strength of about one hundred pounds to the -inch in width and a transparency of about 83%. If this relation or proportion between mesh and strand size is maintained, corresponding results i for different sizes of netting are secured.

The lacquer or 'ccoati'ng' which we .use to incase'or enroll the strands of' the base l may comprise a composition consisting of cellulose acetate anda plasticizer, the admixture being dissolved in a suitable solvent.

Cellulose acetate has the property of being only slightly inflammable, is a poor heat conductor and as more fully disclosed in.

a copending application of Adolph Zimmerli, .filed of even date herewith, Serial No. 700,733 and assigned to Cello Products Incorporated (also the present assignee), it is the plasticizer which gives the final product causes it to adhere or wet the strands of the base 1, and also overns to a large extent, the elasticity of t e film 4 which is formed when the composition is dried. Various plasticizers may be used as, for example,

' triphenyl phosphate,

' be passed phonamide and others. The film formed from this vcellulose acetate solution, although only sli htly inflammable, may be made substantiadly non-inflammable, .if so desired, by the addition of a suitable ingredient adapted to impart this property, as for example hexachlorethane.

Any suitable solvent may but one having a low boiling be employed,

int is preferable inasmuch as this tyfpe' insures rapid evaporation which is an a vantage if it 1s desirable to recover the solvent where the drying is effected by heat in a closed chamber through which the coated material may such a form of apparatus. being fully disclosed and claimed in a co ending application of Adol h Zimmez'li, fi ed De- .cember 17, 1923, Ser1al No. 681,217,; solvent recovery apparatus and assigned to Cello Products Incorporated.

The cellulose acetate solution may be applied to the metallic base 1 in any suitable manner such as flowedor brushed thereon,

but I prefer to use a machine of the type disclosed in the last mentioned Zimmerli application, wherein the wire'cloth or netting composing the metallic base 1 is taken off a reel and passed through the coating solution, thence through a saturation and drying chamber respectively, over a system of rolls to insure an even speed or movement through the apparatus and finally rolling it up when drled. As will be appreciated, this manner insures uniformity in the thickness of the resultant film 4, permits the material to be fabricated in rolls of indefinite its weather resisting properties,

ethyl paratoluolsuh should be exercised to have its com sition of such a consistency as .to attach Itself in a thin layer 'to the reticular base material 1, Wetting the strands 2 and 3 thereof, and being of such a thickness as to be dis osed substantially'betwee'n the surfaces 0? base'lalthough completely incasing all portions thereof. When the resultant film 4 is of this nature, the surfaces thereof will be'isub-divided by the strands 2 and 3 of the reticular metallic base '1 into substantially individual windows or sections 5 formed intermediate the warp and woof strands and each constitute substantially a double concave divergent body composed of the several portions of the film substantially disposed .within and contiguous with the ad acent strands of the base material (see Fig. 2) .'It will be appreciated that these lens bodies will disperse or deflect the light passin therethrou h so as to effect a difi'usion o the transmitted light and thus greatly eliminate any shadows which may be formed through the interception of'the light by the.

tacking the edges thereof to the frame bymeans of sta. le and covering the same with a strip of lig t material preferably the same width as the frame material.

the"

In the construction of chicken coops or brooder houses, such as shown in Fig. 4,. sheets 6 of our material may be fastened to 1 a light framework in any suitable manner. Because of the character of the material, the

light is spreadevenly, there being no sharp shadows anywhere, with the result that there is less tendency among the chicks to crowd where the light is strongest. There is also less variation in the temperature within the coop or brooder because of the heat insulating capacity of the material.

"In applying our glass substitute to the building of greenhouses, such as shown in Fig. -5, it ma be put on inlong sheets 6-.

over a light ramework 8.; Because of the I simplicity. of construction, most any unskilled person in carpentry may quickly'andeasily build a'greenhouse which will have all of'the advantages of an expensive and complicated structure inherent in the use of ordinary window glass for this purpose.

. By referring to the chart illustrated in M Fig. 6, a good idea will be had of the heat insulating property of our product. A comparative test covering four days and beginning March 28, 1923 of florists coldframns, one covered with ordinary double thick glass and another with our substitute proved that the temperatures under the frame covered with our product varied less than the temperatures under the glass covered frame, and that the general average temperature was higher under the frame made from our glass substitute. This is evident from an inspection of the curves shown in the Fig. 6.

Besides being a poorer conductor of heat than ordinary glass which is an important factor in the construction of greenhouses and like enclosures, the lightness of weight and tensile strength of our product, are features which make its use very convenient and satisfactory for such purposes. Because of the nature of our material, it is inherently non-shatterable, and for that reason isespecially resistant to hailstones and other bodies which may fall thereon. Also, because of the flexibility of our product, it may be secured to any sort of aframe-Work in a simple manner and with less difficulty than ordinary window glass.

A further application of our article of manufacture to the art to which it pertains, may be found in mounting aroll thereof upon any suitable reel mechanism, preferably of a portable nature, which will permit the material to be readily rolled and unrolled thereon, so that it could be quickly spread over some uncovered frames within which were growing plants that may be threatened in a given emergency, such as a sudden frost,

heavy hailstorm, or the like. By merely unwinding a roll of our glass substitute, it may be laid over such frames until the emergency is past, and then rewound upon the reel mechanism for subsequent use. The flexibility of our glass substitute makes it ada table for such 'a purpose, and because of its heat insulating capacity and great tensile strength, serves well to protect the lives of the plants, otherwise exposed to destruction in emergencies, such as mentioned.

As further showing the universal application. of our product'to the art of horticulture and the like, it is suggested that individual enclosures having various configurations may be constructed therefrom and be of such a character as to be self-supporting, or the material may be draped over a skeleton frame-work and secured thereto in any suitable manner. Such enclosures may function as bells for protecting individualv plants when so desired. 7

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the essence of our invention resides in the fact that we have produced a substitute for window glass which has many properties common therewith but to a greater degree;

also that our product has additional properties which not only make it-superlor to window glass in man respects, but suitable for purposes to whic window glass cannot be successfully applied or adapted.

Throughout the specification and claims the film formed upon the metallic base material or fabric has been referred to as being thin and as only slightly incasing the.

strands of said material or fabric. By the use of these terms it is wished to be understood to mean that the relation of the thickness of that portion of the film which covers the strands of wire comprising the base is less than the thickness ofthe general body portion of the film which is substantially disposed within the meshes of the base. By

virtue of this relation, the film which incases the strands of wire is less likely to fracture by flexure of the fabric, a better joint or seal is made between the wire strands and the film, etc.

Another term used by us in describing our maiyi or easily recognized. owever, since the words transparent and translucent may be used synonymously, and are given in the dictionary as synonyms, we have chosen to describe our product as being transparent, but use this term in the light of the foregoing explanation.

While our invention has been set forth in several modifications, it will be understood that others may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. For example, other compositions or lacquers may be found for coating the fabric or material other than those suggested and because of their inherent properties, will beespecially valuable for such use, but all such modifications are desired to be regarded as contemplated by the invention as defined in the appended claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base covered with a flexible transparent film adapted to wet the strands of said base and follow the expansion-and contraction thereof, the thickness of saidfilm being such that the outlines of the meshes of the base are substantially pre served inthe surfaces of the film, whereby said surfaces are substantially divided into sections corresponding in number and gencral design to the meshes of the base.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base covered with a flexible transparent film adapted to wet the spond in number and general design to the,

strands of said base and follow the expansion and contraction thereof, the thickness of said film being such that each of the.

surfaces thereof are substantially divided by the strands of the base into sections dis posed within the meshes thereof and correconfiguration of said meshes.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base covered with a flexible transparent film adapted to wet the strands of said base and follow the expansion and contraction thereof, said film being substantially divided into sections corre--' sponding in number and configuration to the mes es of said base, the shape of each of said sections being substantially that of a divergent lens, whereby a diffusion of the light passing therethrough is effected.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base covered with a flexible transparent film adapted to wet the strands'of said base and follow the expansion and contraction thereof, the thickness of said film being" such that the top portions of the strands of the base are barely covered, but at the same time said strands are sufficiently protected by said film as to prevent the corrosion thereof.

a reticular metallic base covered with a flex- 4 ible transparent film adapted to wet the strands of said base and follow the expansion and contraction thereof, the thickness of said film being such as to only slightly incase the to portions of the strands of said base, an( the body portion of said film being substantially disposed in horizontal planes below the top of said strands.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a reticular metallic base covered with a. flexible transparent film which wets the strands of said base and follows the expansion and contraction thereof, the thickness of said film being such that the top portions of the strands of the base are merely covered so as to be protected from corrosion, said film also being of such thickness that the strands of the base substantially divide the surfaces thereof into sections corresponding in number and general design to the meshes of said base.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 8th day of March,

JULESJ. COLLE. ACHILLES COLLE. 

